Fears of 'no deal' prompt a surge in Brexit regret

London: A Brexit backlash is stirring just eight months before the UK is due to leave the European Union, as headlines warn of stalled negotiations, hospitals stockpiling medicines and supermarkets stockpiling food.

For the first time since the 2016 referendum, a major poll has shown the public breaking sharply against Brexit.

About half the population want another referendum to give them a choice between the government’s proposed Brexit model, a ‘no deal’ Brexit, or deciding instead to stay in the EU, the Sky Data poll published on Monday revealed.

If there were such a vote 58 per cent would choose to "remain" in the EU, 32 per cent would vote for 'no deal' with Brussels, and only 10 per cent for the Brexit plan that Theresa May thrashed out with her cabinet a fortnight ago – prompting several high profile ministerial resignations.

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Just one in 10 voters think the government is doing a good job negotiating Brexit, the poll found. Two-thirds expect Britain will get a bad deal once negotiations are finished, including a majority of Leave voters.

Remain voters want a new vote, while Leave voters want a new team running Brexit – possibly led by Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary who quit after describing May’s Brexit plan as "volunteering for economic vassalage".

Only 10 per cent of people would vote for British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plan if another vote was held, a poll has revealed.Credit:AP

Until now most polls have showed few signs of 'Bregret', staying within a few percentage points of the referendum result. Most polls showed a slight advantage to Remain, but were balanced by the fact that many Remainers are young people less likely to vote.

Unless the new poll is a statistical anomaly, a lot of former pro-Brexit voters are now starting to change their minds.

“The lack of faith in the [government’s] handling of Brexit is affecting perceptions of Brexit itself,” Sky’s political editor Faisal Islam said.

The latest poll suggests more people may be having Brexit regret.Credit:PA

The government has recently revealed more about its plans for 'no deal', where Britain crashes out of the EU without any agreement with Brussels on how to balance the books, keep the Irish border open or manage trade, customs or migration.

'No deal' is a growing possibility, as negotiations move slowly in Brussels and the UK parliament has several times come within just a few votes of blocking key Brexit legislation.

The 'no deal' plans include warnings that cancer drugs and insulin for diabetics could be left in short supply.

The army will deliver food, medicine and fuel in the case of shortages if Britain crashes out of the EU, the Sunday Times reported.

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Plans usually reserved for civil emergencies have been dusted down, with helicopters and army trucks ferrying supplies to the vulnerable.

The National Health Service would go onto crisis footing, with medicines, vaccines and blood products brought in from outside the EU and stockpiled.

More than 37 million packs of medicines come from Europe to the UK each month, the Financial Times reported early in July.

The government is also trying to find huge new “lorry parks” for thousands of trucks to sit in as they go through new customs checks, in order to avoid estimated 27 kilometre-long queues.

A source told the Times "people will s--t themselves and think they want a new referendum or an election" if they see the full no-deal plan.

But furious Brexiters accused the government of deliberately trying to frighten voters with a drip-feed of no-deal scare stories.

The Scottish government has also hinted it plans to stockpile medicines and blood products.

It is not only the UK that would suffer: Ireland is also storing up medicines and blood, because a lot of its supply chains currently come through the UK.

One coffee supplier told the Sunday Times it was considering storing up to eight weeks’ stock in Britain in preparation for Brexit day.

And a supermarket chairman told the paper it was “looking at all the options” and there could be competition for warehouse space for stockpiles later in the year.

Another poll by YouGov released on Friday found that 83 per cent of Leave voters stuck by their decision, but 7 per cent had changed their minds and another 10 per cent didn’t know whether they had been right in hindsight.